Julia Cleverdon
Encyclopedia
Dame Julia Charity Cleverdon, DCVO
, CBE
(born 19 April 1950) is a British
charity worker who served for 16 years as Chief Executive of Business in the Community
, one of the Prince's Charities
of Charles, Prince of Wales
.
, Julia Cleverdon is the daughter of the late Douglas Cleverdon
, radio producer and bookseller.
She was educated at Camden School for Girls
and Newnham College, Cambridge
, from which she graduated with then joined the business relations organisation The Industrial Society
eventually becoming Director of Education and Inner City Division. Cleverdon was appointed Chief Executive of Business in the Community on 1 April 1992. During her service she significantly expanded the charity's work, and was named one of the "50 most influential women in Britain" by The Times. Since stepping down as Chief Executive on 1 March 2008, she has served as Vice President.
She has held voluntary roles as Chair of Teach First
, membership of both the National Council for Educational Excellence and the Prime Minister’s Talent and Enterprise Taskforce Advisory Group, patron of the Helena Kennedy Bursary Scheme and the Volunteer Reading Help, an ambassador for the World Wildlife Fund, and director of In Kind Direct
.
In recognition of her work, she was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire
in 1996. In the 2002 New Year's Honours, she was also made a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
, and in the Queen's Birthday Honours in 2008
, she was upgraded to be a Dame Commander of the RVO, a knight
ly class.
Cleverdon was married briefly to Martin Ollard, a stockbroker. In 1986 she remarried to W. John Garnett (died 14 August 1997), former Director of The Industrial Society, by whom she had two daughters, Charity and Victoria. She is the stepmother of Virginia Bottomley
(née Garnett).
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
, CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 19 April 1950) is a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
charity worker who served for 16 years as Chief Executive of Business in the Community
Business in the Community
Business in the Community is a British business-community outreach charity promoting responsible business, CSR, corporate responsibility, and is one of the Prince's Charities of Charles, Prince of Wales....
, one of the Prince's Charities
The Prince's Charities
The Prince's Charities is a group of twenty not-for-profit organisations of which HRH The Prince of Wales is Patron or President, eighteen of which were founded personally by The Prince. The group is supported by The Prince's Charities Foundation....
of Charles, Prince of Wales
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
.
Biography
Born in North LondonNorth London
North London is the northern part of London, England. It is an imprecise description and the area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes. Common to these definitions is that it includes districts located north of the River Thames and is used in comparison with South...
, Julia Cleverdon is the daughter of the late Douglas Cleverdon
Douglas Cleverdon
Douglas James Cleverdon was an English bookseller and radio producer, in both fields associated with numerous leading cultural figures in the United Kingdom.-Early life:...
, radio producer and bookseller.
She was educated at Camden School for Girls
Camden School for Girls
The Camden School for Girls is a comprehensive secondary school for girls, with a co-educational sixth form, in the London Borough of Camden in North London. It has about one thousand students of ages eleven to eighteen, and specialist-school status as a Music College...
and Newnham College, Cambridge
Newnham College, Cambridge
Newnham College is a women-only constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1871 by Henry Sidgwick, and was the second Cambridge college to admit women after Girton College...
, from which she graduated with then joined the business relations organisation The Industrial Society
The Work Foundation
The Work Foundation is a British not-for-profit organisation and independent authority providing advice, consultancy and research on the future of work, improving the quality of working life, leadership, economic and organisational effectiveness. The foundation works with government, business...
eventually becoming Director of Education and Inner City Division. Cleverdon was appointed Chief Executive of Business in the Community on 1 April 1992. During her service she significantly expanded the charity's work, and was named one of the "50 most influential women in Britain" by The Times. Since stepping down as Chief Executive on 1 March 2008, she has served as Vice President.
She has held voluntary roles as Chair of Teach First
Teach First
Teach First is an independent educational charity United Kingdom, Reg. No. 1098294, founded in 2002. Its mission is to address educational disadvantage by transforming exceptional graduates into effective, inspirational teachers and leaders in all fields...
, membership of both the National Council for Educational Excellence and the Prime Minister’s Talent and Enterprise Taskforce Advisory Group, patron of the Helena Kennedy Bursary Scheme and the Volunteer Reading Help, an ambassador for the World Wildlife Fund, and director of In Kind Direct
In Kind Direct
In Kind Direct is a charity in the United Kingdom founded in 1996 by HRH Prince Charles. The charity redistributes surplus goods from manufacturers and retailers to UK charities working both domestically and abroad...
.
In recognition of her work, she was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1996. In the 2002 New Year's Honours, she was also made a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
, and in the Queen's Birthday Honours in 2008
Birthday Honours 2008
The Birthday Honours 2008 for the Commonwealth Realms were announced in June 2008, to celebrate the Queen's Birthday of 2008.The recipients of honours are displayed or referred to here as they were styled before their new honour, and arranged firstly by the country whose ministers advised the Queen...
, she was upgraded to be a Dame Commander of the RVO, a knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
ly class.
Cleverdon was married briefly to Martin Ollard, a stockbroker. In 1986 she remarried to W. John Garnett (died 14 August 1997), former Director of The Industrial Society, by whom she had two daughters, Charity and Victoria. She is the stepmother of Virginia Bottomley
Virginia Bottomley
Virginia Bottomley, Baroness Bottomley of Nettlestone, PC, DL is a British Conservative Party politician. She was a Member of Parliament in the House of Commons from 1984 to 2005. She was raised to the peerage in 2005...
(née Garnett).